Speaker #0Hey, can I sit next to you? I, uh, I know you've been having a hard time lately, and I know I should have been checking in on you more than I have been, and I just... I wanted to apologize for that. I know that it might sound like a poor excuse, but it's really hard seeing somebody I care about going through something difficult. And I've wanted to reach out. I just don't know how to be helpful. You know, I don't want to say the wrong thing and make things even harder for you. I don't know what would make you feel better or worse, but I know that silence probably didn't help. But I just want you to know that me not checking in or not bringing it up with you... It's not because I don't care. It's never because I don't care. I do. I care so, so much. I want you to be okay. But I don't want to force you to not feel your feelings. I don't want to rush you to some place where you have to be okay, where you have to feel like acting like you're okay just for my benefit. You deserve to feel everything you're feeling, anything you're feeling. I just want to be here for you. And I know that I haven't shown up. And it's your right to be upset with me or however you feel. But I do just want you to know that... I do realize now that I probably should have just asked you what would make you feel better. We're all just trying to do our best, right? I know that's what you're trying to do, and I hope you understand that that's what I've been trying to do. Sorry, this is... This is a very long-winded apology. You understand that I care about you, right? Of course I do. You're very important to me. When I see you struggle, it makes my heart ache. I didn't want to ask you what was wrong because I didn't want you to feel pressured at all in any way. You don't have to explain yourself to me. You don't have to explain why you're not chipper or happy, right? You can just... Feel how you feel around me. You can just be who you are. And if that happens to be upbeat and happy, awesome. But if that happens to be struggling, then that's okay too. Let me share that with you, okay? Least I can do is make sure you don't have to do it alone. So, if you'll have me, I'd like to be here. Even if you're struggling, even if you're not good company, I want to be here, next to you. I never want you to have to struggle alone. Okay? Good. Come here. You wanna put your head on my lap? Would that help you feel better? Good. Can I play with your hair? I'm sorry that you're going through this. You don't deserve anything but the best. And you certainly don't deserve to be struggling. Does that feel alright? Good. Is it relaxing? Yeah, I'm not the best with words, but... With actions... I could sit here and play with your hair all day. I hope you know how much you mean to me. How much you mean to everyone whose lives you're in. We all see that you're a good person. And we all see how hard you try to hide that you're struggling. to show up despite it being difficult. We see it. We appreciate it. We love you more for it. But you also know you don't have to do any of that, right? Good. It's okay to just not be okay sometimes. And I know it's hard. It's hard for a lot of us. When somebody asks how you're doing, isn't the knee-jerk response just, yeah, I'm doing good, you know? But you don't have to do that. Nothing's gonna happen if you just be. not okay the world's not gonna fall apart if you're not holding it together for a minute you can just relax you can just breathe in and out One more time. In and out. You can lay your guard down, at least when you're with me. But there's probably other people too. You're a good person. You're a safe person to be around. The things you do matter. And they don't go unnoticed. That's why I care about you. That's why others care about you. I know it sounds phony, but... In my eyes, you are absolutely perfect. I can't imagine a better person to be sitting next to, running my hands through the hair. I could do this forever, you know? Hm. Seeing you relax a little makes me very happy. Would you like scratches? Yeah, my nails are pretty short, but I think you could still feel them. There you go. You look calmer now. I'm glad. Hmm. I like seeing you like this. With your guard down. Makes me feel like you can trust me. Do you trust me? You have no idea how happy that makes me. Because I trust you, you know. Thank you for letting me get all of this out. I appreciate you. I do. I want to be near you whenever I'm not. is that okay good i hope you know how happy you make me even when you're not trying even when you're just lying on my lap letting me play with your hair You just make me happy. Make me feel like there's less pressure from the world beating down on me. Makes me feel like you'll share a little bit of my love. You're the type of person I want to spend my life with. I think I'm just now realizing that. Is it okay if I kiss you? I love you.